Security and defense analyst Rashid Muhannadi stated that the newly signed defense agreement between Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia focuses on cooperation in developing the four countries' defense industrial bases. The agreement comes at a time when the region faces "unprecedented security risks," but efforts to develop Qatar's own defense industry began decades before the agreement was signed. There are both "strategic" and "economic" reasons for developing a domestic defense industry. Countries with their own defense industries, on average, spend less to acquire equivalent capabilities than countries with no defense capabilities at all. This sector is "a very good diversification direction for oil and gas-based economies." The strategic reason lies in "building capabilities that meet the actual needs of the region's armed forces."
